Automatic time-controlled draft apparatus



Dec. 11,1923. 1,47 ,753

v F. HERRON -AUTOMATIC TIME CONTROLLED DRAFT APPARATUS Filed Aug. 29 1921 s I K -heated when the occupants arise.

Patented Dec. ll,

FRANK Hiianon, or LAS canons, NEW MEXICO.

AUTOMATIC TIME-CONTROLLED DRAFT APPARATUS.

Application filed August 29, 1921. Serial No. 486,363.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK VHERRON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Las Cruces, in the countyof Dona Ana and State of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Time-Controlled Draft Apparatus; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification. This invention is a novel time controlled device for opening the drafts on furnaces at apredetermined time. Various devices for such purpose have already been patented,

- but as stated the present invention provides a very simple, inexpensive and reliable device; and its object is to provide avery simple device which can be easily attached to a furnace by ordinary house owners, and

which will be efiicient in operation and very inexpensive to purchase or install.

The invention is designed to enable householders to open the draft of the furnace at any desired hour in the morning, being particularly intended for use in residences where furnaces are employed which are banked by night and cool down during the sleeping hours, and it is desired to have the draft turned on at such an hour in the morning as 'will insure that the house is properly I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one practical embodiment thereof and will enable others to adapt and use the same; and in the claims I have summarized the novel features of the invention for desired.

- In the. drawings;

which protection is Fig. 1 is ,a'diagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of the; time device and the of such-mechanism on line 3-3 Fig. 2.

The furnace F may be a hot water, steam or hot air furnace of any suitable kind and is provided with a draft door, shutter or valve V of the usual kind, which is closed when the furnace is banked and may be opened when it is desired to give the furnace a drait to heat it rapidly. As shown this valve V may be connected to one end of a cord or chain R which cord may be led up over pulleys P so that the other end' of the cord may be pulled downward thereby lifting the valve when-it is desired to raise or open it Thus far the parts are old. In the present invention I preferably use as a weight a clock mechanism, such as an ordinary alarmclock C, which maybe suspended from the end of the cord or chain R and serve as a weight to hold the valve V, raised. This clock mechanism, while of ordinary construction, is provided With a time controlled gripper whereby it may be suspended from a hanger block 1 which may be suspended from or adjacent the last pulley supportP. 1n the example shown this hanger -l is wedge shaped, being smallest at its upper end, and is adapted to'be engaged by the gripper connected to. the clock as shown in7 Fig. 2. This grip-per preferably comprises two opposite members which are pivotally connected together and which have jaws 2 and 3 on their upper ends and are pivoted together at 3. Below the pivot 3 the memher 3 hasa short arm 3 and the member 2 has a longer arm 2. The lower end of the arm 3" is pivotally connected at 3 to the upper end of a bar 4-; and the lower end of the arm 2 is pivotally connected at 2 to the lower .end of the bar't. The bar 4 is pivoted at 1- to the frame K of the clock mechanism inside the clock Cand may project through a slot in the clock casing. The bar 4 has an arm l projecting therefrom practically at right angles thereto; and theend ofthis arm' i has a projecting tooth 4C whichtis adapted? to be engaged with a detent 5 onthe inner .end of the spring S which is ordinarily 'used in this type of clock to control the alarm mechanism. The clock mechanism is not a feature of the invention and is merely V conventionally indicated in the drawings, the particular clock mechanism used being immaterial; but in the particular mechanism 109 indicated is shown as The American alarmcl ock, made by the Vest. Alarm Clock .00.

This clock has a spring S which normally presses outwardly a gear .T which. forms a part of the alarm setting mechanism and 5 is loosely mounted on the setting shaft G, said gear having a notch in its outer face. This setting shaft G has a disk J connected thereto adjacent gear T, this disk J having a pin j which is adapted to engage the notch 110 t on the gear T. The gear T rotates with the hour hand of the clock andwhen the (as in setting the ordinary alarm) the pin j rides out of notclft and in so deing'forces "gear '1 back out of the way against the sired.

tension of the spring S and the gear is held back until in the course ofthe revolu tion of the gear T, the pin again registers with the notch t. Then the spring S moves ,gear T forward and in so doing would, in

the ordinary clock, release the alarm. In the present invention instead of releasing the alarm this movement of the spring S disengages thedetent 5 from thearm 4i".

. hen the arm at is engaged with the detent 5 as indicated in full lines in Fig. 2, the jaws 2,3 are closed. Vhen the detent 5 disengages the arm 4- the jaws would open.

In using the device the clock, as stated is attached to one end of the chain R and the owner sets the alarm to'the hour at which he wishes the draft to be opened.

He then raises the clock until the jaws 2 and '3- embrace the tapered hanger block 1. He then, closes the jaws upon the block, as

in Fig.2, and in so doing the arm t is engaged under the detent 5 thus holding the jaws looked as indicated in Fig. 2, and the clock will then be suspended by said jaws from the hanger block 1, and the valve V will remain closed.

At the hour for which the alarm is setthe pin 7' enters the notch t and spring S thereupon disengages detent 5 from arm 4". The weight of the clock and tapered sides of the hanger 1 cause thejaws 2 and 8 to open up and disengage the hanger and the weight of the clock is then transferred to the chain R and through it to the valveV opening the latter as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus turning on the draft'at the hour de- The weight of the clock would ordinarily be sufficient to open a light valve V but if the clock is too light the weight of the clock could be supplemented by attach ing any kind of a suitable weight to the clock or to the cord R in such manner that the weight would be suspended by the clock when the jaws 2i and 3' are engaged with. the hanger and would supplement the weight of the clock in pulling down the chain and opening up the valve when the jaws 2 and 3 are released.

\Vhat I cla1m 1s: 1. Inmechamsm of the character spec1- tied, a time mechanism; a gripper comprisingplvotally connectedmembers having opposed jaws above their pivot, one member having. a short arm and the otherlnember having a long arm below their pivot; a bar pivoted to the time mechanism having its opposite ends respectively connected with the long and the shortarmsof the gripper members, an arm projecting'from said baradapted to engage adetent on the alarm "spring'of said time m'ec-h'anisn'i to holdthe jaws in locked position; whereby when said alarm spring is actuated, said arm will be disengaged from said detent allowing the jaws to open, substantially as described.

2. In mechanism of the character specified, a time mechanism, a gripper comprising pivotally' connected members having opand having a tooth adapted toen'gage. a

detent on the 'alarm'spring of said time mechanism to hold the jaws in locked position; whereby when said alarm spring is actuated, the said tooth and detent will be disengaged and the jaws will be opened, substantially as described.

3. In combination with aclock mechanism, a gripper comprising pivotally connected members having opposed jaws above their pivot, one member having a short arm and the other member having a long arm below their pivot; a bar pivoted to the time mechanism having its opposite ends respectively connected with the long and the short arms of the gripper members, an arm projecting from said bar and having a toothadapted' to engage a detent on the alarm spring of said time mechanism to hold the jaws in locked position, means controlled by .the clock mechanism for releasing the gripper at a predetermined hour; and a hanger adapted to be'engaged by the gripper to suspend the clock mechanism. 1

4. In combination with a clock mechanism, a hanger; a gripper connected with the clock mechanism to engage the hanger; said gripper comprising pivotally connected members having opposedfljawsabove their pivot, one member having'ash'ort arm,

tooth and detentat a predetermined hour thereby permitting the gripper jaws to release the hanger atthe time it is desired to have the valve open, and allow the clockto drop. r

5. In combination with a member to be operated, a clock mechanism, a hanger; a gripper conn'ected'with the cloclrmechanism to engage the hanger, said/gripper comprising pivotally connected members having opposed jaws above their pivot, one clock mechanism to hold the jaws in locked 0 member having a short arm and the other position; and means controlled by the time member having a long arm below the pivot; mechanism ofthe clock for permitting the a bar pivoted to the clock mechanism and gripper to release the hanger at the time it 5 having its opposite respective ends conneotis desired to have the member operated and ed With the long and the short arms of the thus allow the clock to drop. p 15 gripper members; an arm from said bar and In testimony that I claim the foregoing having a tooth on the outer end thereof enas my own I aflix my signature. gaging a detent on the alarm spring of said FRANK HERRON. 

